Thursday, September 5, 2013

Lessons from Ramadan

Part of my internship in
Amman, Jordan happened to take place during Ramadan. Ramadan is a holy month in the Islamic
calendar. Observant Muslims fast from
sunrise to sunset every day for the entire month. In predominantly Muslim communities, you’ll
notice a lot of changes during this time.
For anyone visiting a Muslim country during Ramadan, here are some of
the things I learned during that month to fully enjoy the experience!

1) Drink water any and every time you leave
your apartment. Even if you’re not
Muslim, it’s very rude to eat or drink in public when most people will be
fasting. So drink up (and eat a
nutritious meal!) before you head out for the day.

2) It’s a bad idea to stop at the bakery to get
bread twenty minutes before iftar/fatoor (the breaking-fast meal). It’s crowded
and a bit crazy. That’s when all the wives panic that they don’t have enough
food and send their husband to get more, and to get the bread while they’re
out. If you go about an hour before fatoor
(close to 7:45 p.m. during summer months), however, you’ll find the bread is
hot, fresh, and delicious and you won’t have to wait long to get it! (Just remember not to eat it until you’re
back in your apartment or hotel!)

3) It is a very good idea, however, to enjoy
fatoor with a family (if you get an invitation) or at a restaurant. Make sure you arrive plenty early,
though. Restaurants fill up quickly for
fatoor, and they have food out to you before the call to prayer that signals
the end of the day’s fast, so get there early.

4) When you have fatoor at a restaurant or
someone’s house, you’ll notice most people break their fast in the same
way. Want to fit in? Start by taking a swig of water very first
and then a date, if one is provided. Then
dig into your meal.

5) Times when shops are open are rather
sporadic during Ramadan. I gave up
trying to make sense of them. For the
most part, don’t plan on doing much shopping until after fatoor.

6) It’s hard to get a taxi during
Ramadan. Give yourself extra time to get
places.

7) The city turns slightly nocturnal during
Ramadan. You hear people out walking and talking well past midnight.

8) And then there’s the drummer guy that comes
around to wake people up at 2:45 or earlier so they can eat before the sun
rises. Don’t be alarmed. It’s not some tribal war starting outside in the
street.

9) If you want to sound authentic, you say,
“Ramadan kareem,” which is like wishing them a happy/generous Ramadan. Towards the end of the month, you say, “Eid
Mubarak,” which is like congratulating them on a successful Ramadan.

10) Most importantly, just take it easy. Things are generally more relaxed and
informal during Ramadan. Just enjoy it
and chill. Like this camel in the middle
of the street in Aqaba, or this horse in Petra.